This 1902 San Antonio home was beautiful both inside and out, except for the kitchen, which was dark and dated. The original kitchen layout consisted of a breakfast room and a small kitchen separated by a wall. There was also a very small screened in porch off of the kitchen. The homeowners dreamed of a light and bright new kitchen and that would accommodate a 48" gas range, built in refrigerator, an island and a walk in pantry. At first, it seemed almost impossible, but with a little imagination, we were able to give them every item on their wish list. We took down the wall separating the breakfast and kitchen areas, recessed the new Subzero refrigerator under the stairs, and turned the tiny screened porch into a walk in pantry with a gorgeous blue and white tile floor. The french doors in the breakfast area were replaced with a single transom door to mirror the door to the pantry. The new transoms make quite a statement on either side of the 48" Wolf range set against a marble tile wall. A lovely banquette area was created where the old breakfast table once was and is now graced by a lovely beaded chandelier. Pillows in shades of blue and white and a custom walnut table complete the cozy nook. The soapstone island with a walnut butcher block seating area adds warmth and character to the space. The navy barstools with chrome nailhead trim echo the design of the transoms and repeat the navy and chrome detailing on the custom range hood. A 42" Shaws farmhouse sink completes the kitchen work triangle. Off of the kitchen, the small hallway to the dining room got a facelift, as well. We added a decorative china cabinet and mirrored doors to the homeowner's storage closet to provide light and character to the passageway. After the project was completed, the homeowners told us that "this kitchen was the one that our historic house was always meant to have." There is no greater reward for what we do than that.

Living room - mid-sized transitional open concept medium tone wood floor and brown floor living room idea in San Diego with white walls, a standard fireplace, a tile fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

Lincoln Farmhouse LEED-H Platinum, Net-Positive Energy OVERVIEW. This LEED Platinum certified modern farmhouse ties into the cultural landscape of Lincoln, Massachusetts - a town known for its rich history, farming traditions, conservation efforts, and visionary architecture. The goal was to design and build a new single family home on 1.8 acres that respects the neighborhood’s agrarian roots, produces more energy than it consumes, and provides the family with flexible spaces to live-play-work-entertain. The resulting 2,800 SF home is proof that families do not need to compromise on style, space or comfort in a highly energy-efficient and healthy home. CONNECTION TO NATURE. The attached garage is ubiquitous in new construction in New England’s cold climate. This home’s barn-inspired garage is intentionally detached from the main dwelling. A covered walkway connects the two structures, creating an intentional connection with the outdoors between auto and home. FUNCTIONAL FLEXIBILITY. With a modest footprint, each space must serve a specific use, but also be flexible for atypical scenarios. The Mudroom serves everyday use for the couple and their children, but is also easy to tidy up to receive guests, eliminating the need for two entries found in most homes. A workspace is conveniently located off the mudroom; it looks out on to the back yard to supervise the children and can be closed off with a sliding door when not in use. The Away Room opens up to the Living Room for everyday use; it can be closed off with its oversized pocket door for secondary use as a guest bedroom with en suite bath. NET POSITIVE ENERGY. The all-electric home consumes 70% less energy than a code-built house, and with measured energy data produces 48% more energy annually than it consumes, making it a 'net positive' home. Thick walls and roofs lack thermal bridging, windows are high performance, triple-glazed, and a continuous air barrier yields minimal leakage (0.27ACH50) making the home among the tightest in the US. Systems include an air source heat pump, an energy recovery ventilator, and a 13.1kW photovoltaic system to offset consumption and support future electric cars. ACTUAL PERFORMANCE. -6.3 kBtu/sf/yr Energy Use Intensity (Actual monitored project data reported for the firm’s 2016 AIA 2030 Commitment. Average single family home is 52.0 kBtu/sf/yr.) o 10,900 kwh total consumption (8.5 kbtu/ft2 EUI) o 16,200 kwh total production o 5,300 kwh net surplus, equivalent to 15,000-25,000 electric car miles per year. 48% net positive. WATER EFFICIENCY. Plumbing fixtures and water closets consume a mere 60% of the federal standard, while high efficiency appliances such as the dishwasher and clothes washer also reduce consumption rates. FOOD PRODUCTION. After clearing all invasive species, apple, pear, peach and cherry trees were planted. Future plans include blueberry, raspberry and strawberry bushes, along with raised beds for vegetable gardening. The house also offers a below ground root cellar, built outside the home's thermal envelope, to gain the passive benefit of long term energy-free food storage. RESILIENCY. The home's ability to weather unforeseen challenges is predictable - it will fare well. The super-insulated envelope means during a winter storm with power outage, heat loss will be slow - taking days to drop to 60 degrees even with no heat source. During normal conditions, reduced energy consumption plus energy production means shelter from the burden of utility costs. Surplus production can power electric cars & appliances. The home exceeds snow & wind structural requirements, plus far surpasses standard construction for long term durability planning. ARCHITECT: ZeroEnergy Design http://zeroenergy.com/lincoln-farmhouse CONTRACTOR: Thoughtforms http://thoughtforms-corp.com/ PHOTOGRAPHER: Chuck Choi http://www.chuckchoi.com/

Intentional. Elevated. Artisanal. With three children under the age of 5, our clients were starting to feel the confines of their Pacific Heights home when the expansive 1902 Italianate across the street went on the market. After learning the home had been recently remodeled, they jumped at the chance to purchase a move-in ready property. We worked with them to infuse the already refined, elegant living areas with subtle edginess and handcrafted details, and also helped them reimagine unused space to delight their little ones. Elevated furnishings on the main floor complement the home’s existing high ceilings, modern brass bannisters and extensive walnut cabinetry. In the living room, sumptuous emerald upholstery on a velvet side chair balances the deep wood tones of the existing baby grand. Minimally and intentionally accessorized, the room feels formal but still retains a sharp edge—on the walls moody portraiture gets irreverent with a bold paint stroke, and on the the etagere, jagged crystals and metallic sculpture feel rugged and unapologetic. Throughout the main floor handcrafted, textured notes are everywhere—a nubby jute rug underlies inviting sofas in the family room and a half-moon mirror in the living room mixes geometric lines with flax-colored fringe. On the home’s lower level, we repurposed an unused wine cellar into a well-stocked craft room, with a custom chalkboard, art-display area and thoughtful storage. In the adjoining space, we installed a custom climbing wall and filled the balance of the room with low sofas, plush area rugs, poufs and storage baskets, creating the perfect space for active play or a quiet reading session. The bold colors and playful attitudes apparent in these spaces are echoed upstairs in each of the children’s imaginative bedrooms. Architect + Developer: McMahon Architects + Studio, Photographer: Suzanna Scott Photography

Klopf Architecture and Outer space Landscape Architects designed a new warm, modern, open, indoor-outdoor home in Los Altos, California. Inspired by mid-century modern homes but looking for something completely new and custom, the owners, a couple with two children, bought an older ranch style home with the intention of replacing it. Created on a grid, the house is designed to be at rest with differentiated spaces for activities; living, playing, cooking, dining and a piano space. The low-sloping gable roof over the great room brings a grand feeling to the space. The clerestory windows at the high sloping roof make the grand space light and airy. Upon entering the house, an open atrium entry in the middle of the house provides light and nature to the great room. The Heath tile wall at the back of the atrium blocks direct view of the rear yard from the entry door for privacy. The bedrooms, bathrooms, play room and the sitting room are under flat wing-like roofs that balance on either side of the low sloping gable roof of the main space. Large sliding glass panels and pocketing glass doors foster openness to the front and back yards. In the front there is a fenced-in play space connected to the play room, creating an indoor-outdoor play space that could change in use over the years. The play room can also be closed off from the great room with a large pocketing door. In the rear, everything opens up to a deck overlooking a pool where the family can come together outdoors. Wood siding travels from exterior to interior, accentuating the indoor-outdoor nature of the house. Where the exterior siding doesn’t come inside, a palette of white oak floors, white walls, walnut cabinetry, and dark window frames ties all the spaces together to create a uniform feeling and flow throughout the house. The custom cabinetry matches the minimal joinery of the rest of the house, a trim-less, minimal appearance. Wood siding was mitered in the corners, including where siding meets the interior drywall. Wall materials were held up off the floor with a minimal reveal. This tight detailing gives a sense of cleanliness to the house. The garage door of the house is completely flush and of the same material as the garage wall, de-emphasizing the garage door and making the street presentation of the house kinder to the neighborhood. The house is akin to a custom, modern-day Eichler home in many ways. Inspired by mid-century modern homes with today’s materials, approaches, standards, and technologies. The goals were to create an indoor-outdoor home that was energy-efficient, light and flexible for young children to grow. This 3,000 square foot, 3 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom new house is located in Los Altos in the heart of the Silicon Valley. Klopf Architecture Project Team: John Klopf, AIA, and Chuang-Ming Liu 
Landscape Architect: Outer space Landscape Architects 
Structural Engineer: ZFA Structural Engineers 
Staging: Da Lusso Design 
Photography ©2018 Mariko Reed 
Location: Los Altos, CA
 Year completed: 2017

With the floor to ceiling windows continuing through into the bathroom, and white details throughout, the room is airy and filled with light. The sink is repurposed from a commercial building and the custom zinc medicine cabinets are extra deep and outfitted with outlets so that the bathroom clutter is contained. Photo by Lincoln Barber

Photo: Sarah Greenman © 2013 Houzz
Trendy u-shaped kitchen photo in Dallas with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, green backsplash and stainless steel appliances

Klopf Architecture and Outer space Landscape Architects designed a new warm, modern, open, indoor-outdoor home in Los Altos, California. Inspired by mid-century modern homes but looking for something completely new and custom, the owners, a couple with two children, bought an older ranch style home with the intention of replacing it. Created on a grid, the house is designed to be at rest with differentiated spaces for activities; living, playing, cooking, dining and a piano space. The low-sloping gable roof over the great room brings a grand feeling to the space. The clerestory windows at the high sloping roof make the grand space light and airy. Upon entering the house, an open atrium entry in the middle of the house provides light and nature to the great room. The Heath tile wall at the back of the atrium blocks direct view of the rear yard from the entry door for privacy. The bedrooms, bathrooms, play room and the sitting room are under flat wing-like roofs that balance on either side of the low sloping gable roof of the main space. Large sliding glass panels and pocketing glass doors foster openness to the front and back yards. In the front there is a fenced-in play space connected to the play room, creating an indoor-outdoor play space that could change in use over the years. The play room can also be closed off from the great room with a large pocketing door. In the rear, everything opens up to a deck overlooking a pool where the family can come together outdoors. Wood siding travels from exterior to interior, accentuating the indoor-outdoor nature of the house. Where the exterior siding doesn’t come inside, a palette of white oak floors, white walls, walnut cabinetry, and dark window frames ties all the spaces together to create a uniform feeling and flow throughout the house. The custom cabinetry matches the minimal joinery of the rest of the house, a trim-less, minimal appearance. Wood siding was mitered in the corners, including where siding meets the interior drywall. Wall materials were held up off the floor with a minimal reveal. This tight detailing gives a sense of cleanliness to the house. The garage door of the house is completely flush and of the same material as the garage wall, de-emphasizing the garage door and making the street presentation of the house kinder to the neighborhood. The house is akin to a custom, modern-day Eichler home in many ways. Inspired by mid-century modern homes with today’s materials, approaches, standards, and technologies. The goals were to create an indoor-outdoor home that was energy-efficient, light and flexible for young children to grow. This 3,000 square foot, 3 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom new house is located in Los Altos in the heart of the Silicon Valley. Klopf Architecture Project Team: John Klopf, AIA, and Chuang-Ming Liu 
Landscape Architect: Outer space Landscape Architects 
Structural Engineer: ZFA Structural Engineers 
Staging: Da Lusso Design 
Photography ©2018 Mariko Reed 
Location: Los Altos, CA
 Year completed: 2017

This basement apartment transformation by HouseHome reimagines a compact lower-level residence into a vibrant “Modern Collector’s Cottage” for a single woman seeking a home that feels electric, expressive, and deeply personal. Designed to celebrate individuality, the space was curated as a true copy-and-paste reflection of the client’s personality, blending her extensive collections, hobbies, and memorabilia into a cohesive, highly stylized interior. The result is a bright, playful, and elevated living environment that seamlessly unites design, modern comfort, and emotional storytelling. The design challenge centered on organizing and showcasing meaningful memorabilia, while blending multi-generational gifts, keepsakes, sports mementos, posters, and artistic collections into a space that still felt intentional and uncluttered. Through layered materials, bold color moments, mixed textures, and thoughtful spatial planning, HouseHome created a home that feels bubbly, surprising, and beautifully curated—never chaotic, always cohesive. Every surface, storage solution, and display moment was designed to support both visual impact and daily functionality. This project exemplifies HouseHome’s expertise in eclectic interior design, small-space living, and collector-focused styling, proving that high personality and high design can coexist in perfect balance. The finished apartment is now a joy-filled, organized, and an inspirational retreat that celebrates life, memories, and personal expression while delivering luxury-level styling in a highly livable form.

Master bedroom with custom green velvet upholstered headboard wall and bed frame. Leather and natural linen nightstands. Brass pendant lighting and integrated dimmer switches.

This project involved converting a partially finished basement into an ultimate media room with an English pub. The family is big on entertaining and enjoys watching movies and college football. It was important to combine the media area with the pub to create options for guests within the same space. Although the home has a full sized basement the staircase was centrally located, which made it difficult for special configuration. As a result, we were able to work with the existing plan be designing a media area large enough for a sectional sofa and additional seating with the English pub at the far end of the room. The home owner had a projection screen on a bare wall with the electrical components stacked on boxes. The new plan involved installing new cabinets to accommodate components and surround the screen to give it a built-in finish. Open shelving also allows the homeowner to feature some of their collectible sports memorabilia. As if the 130 inch projection screen wasn’t large enough, the surround sound system makes you feel like you are part of the action. It is as close to the I MAX viewing experience as you are going to get in a home. Sound-deadening insulation was installed in the ceiling and walls to prevent noise from penetrating the second floor. The design of the pub was inspired by the home owner’s favorite local pub, Brazenhead. The bar countertop with lift-top entrance was custom built by our carpenters to simulate aged wood. The finish looks rough, but it is smooth enough to wipe down easily. The top encloses the bar and provides seating for guests. A TV at the bar allows guest to follow along with the game on the big screen or tune into another game. The game table provides even another option for entertainment in the media room. Stacked stone with thick mortar joints was installed on the face of the bar and to an opposite wall containing the entrance to a wine room. Hand scrapped hardwood floors were installed in the pub portion of the media room to provide yet another touch to “Brazenhead” their own pub. The wet bar is under a soffit area that continues into the media area due to existing duct work. We wanted to creatively find a way to separate the two spaces. Adding trim on the ceiling and front of soffit at the bar defined the area and made a great transition from the drywall soffit to the wet bar. A tin ceiling was installed which added to the ambience of the pub wet bar and further aided in defining the soffit as an intentional part of the design. Custom built wainscoting borders the perimeter of the media room. The end result allows the client to comfortably entertain in a space designed just for them.

The genesis of design for this desert retreat was the informal dining area in which the clients, along with family and friends, would gather. Located in north Scottsdale’s prestigious Silverleaf, this ranch hacienda offers 6,500 square feet of gracious hospitality for family and friends. Focused around the informal dining area, the home’s living spaces, both indoor and outdoor, offer warmth of materials and proximity for expansion of the casual dining space that the owners envisioned for hosting gatherings to include their two grown children, parents, and many friends. The kitchen, adjacent to the informal dining, serves as the functioning heart of the home and is open to the great room, informal dining room, and office, and is mere steps away from the outdoor patio lounge and poolside guest casita. Additionally, the main house master suite enjoys spectacular vistas of the adjacent McDowell mountains and distant Phoenix city lights. The clients, who desired ample guest quarters for their visiting adult children, decided on a detached guest casita featuring two bedroom suites, a living area, and a small kitchen. The guest casita’s spectacular bedroom mountain views are surpassed only by the living area views of distant mountains seen beyond the spectacular pool and outdoor living spaces. Project Details | Desert Retreat, Silverleaf – Scottsdale, AZ Architect: C.P. Drewett, AIA, NCARB; Drewett Works, Scottsdale, AZ Builder: Sonora West Development, Scottsdale, AZ Photographer: Dino Tonn Featured in Phoenix Home and Garden, May 2015, “Sporting Style: Golf Enthusiast Christie Austin Earns Top Scores on the Home Front” See more of this project here: http://drewettworks.com/desert-retreat-at-silverleaf/

This basement apartment transformation by HouseHome reimagines a compact lower-level residence into a vibrant “Modern Collector’s Cottage” for a single woman seeking a home that feels electric, expressive, and deeply personal. Designed to celebrate individuality, the space was curated as a true copy-and-paste reflection of the client’s personality, blending her extensive collections, hobbies, and memorabilia into a cohesive, highly stylized interior. The result is a bright, playful, and elevated living environment that seamlessly unites design, modern comfort, and emotional storytelling. The design challenge centered on organizing and showcasing meaningful memorabilia, while blending multi-generational gifts, keepsakes, sports mementos, posters, and artistic collections into a space that still felt intentional and uncluttered. Through layered materials, bold color moments, mixed textures, and thoughtful spatial planning, HouseHome created a home that feels bubbly, surprising, and beautifully curated—never chaotic, always cohesive. Every surface, storage solution, and display moment was designed to support both visual impact and daily functionality. This project exemplifies HouseHome’s expertise in eclectic interior design, small-space living, and collector-focused styling, proving that high personality and high design can coexist in perfect balance. The finished apartment is now a joy-filled, organized, and an inspirational retreat that celebrates life, memories, and personal expression while delivering luxury-level styling in a highly livable form.

This basement apartment transformation by HouseHome reimagines a compact lower-level residence into a vibrant “Modern Collector’s Cottage” for a single woman seeking a home that feels electric, expressive, and deeply personal. Designed to celebrate individuality, the space was curated as a true copy-and-paste reflection of the client’s personality, blending her extensive collections, hobbies, and memorabilia into a cohesive, highly stylized interior. The result is a bright, playful, and elevated living environment that seamlessly unites design, modern comfort, and emotional storytelling. The design challenge centered on organizing and showcasing meaningful memorabilia, while blending multi-generational gifts, keepsakes, sports mementos, posters, and artistic collections into a space that still felt intentional and uncluttered. Through layered materials, bold color moments, mixed textures, and thoughtful spatial planning, HouseHome created a home that feels bubbly, surprising, and beautifully curated—never chaotic, always cohesive. Every surface, storage solution, and display moment was designed to support both visual impact and daily functionality. This project exemplifies HouseHome’s expertise in eclectic interior design, small-space living, and collector-focused styling, proving that high personality and high design can coexist in perfect balance. The finished apartment is now a joy-filled, organized, and an inspirational retreat that celebrates life, memories, and personal expression while delivering luxury-level styling in a highly livable form.

This basement apartment transformation by HouseHome reimagines a compact lower-level residence into a vibrant “Modern Collector’s Cottage” for a single woman seeking a home that feels electric, expressive, and deeply personal. Designed to celebrate individuality, the space was curated as a true copy-and-paste reflection of the client’s personality, blending her extensive collections, hobbies, and memorabilia into a cohesive, highly stylized interior. The result is a bright, playful, and elevated living environment that seamlessly unites design, modern comfort, and emotional storytelling. The design challenge centered on organizing and showcasing meaningful memorabilia, while blending multi-generational gifts, keepsakes, sports mementos, posters, and artistic collections into a space that still felt intentional and uncluttered. Through layered materials, bold color moments, mixed textures, and thoughtful spatial planning, HouseHome created a home that feels bubbly, surprising, and beautifully curated—never chaotic, always cohesive. Every surface, storage solution, and display moment was designed to support both visual impact and daily functionality. This project exemplifies HouseHome’s expertise in eclectic interior design, small-space living, and collector-focused styling, proving that high personality and high design can coexist in perfect balance. The finished apartment is now a joy-filled, organized, and an inspirational retreat that celebrates life, memories, and personal expression while delivering luxury-level styling in a highly livable form.

Matt Waclo, Owner, Joel sherman
Contemporary three-story flat roof idea in Sacramento

This basement apartment transformation by HouseHome reimagines a compact lower-level residence into a vibrant “Modern Collector’s Cottage” for a single woman seeking a home that feels electric, expressive, and deeply personal. Designed to celebrate individuality, the space was curated as a true copy-and-paste reflection of the client’s personality, blending her extensive collections, hobbies, and memorabilia into a cohesive, highly stylized interior. The result is a bright, playful, and elevated living environment that seamlessly unites design, modern comfort, and emotional storytelling. The design challenge centered on organizing and showcasing meaningful memorabilia, while blending multi-generational gifts, keepsakes, sports mementos, posters, and artistic collections into a space that still felt intentional and uncluttered. Through layered materials, bold color moments, mixed textures, and thoughtful spatial planning, HouseHome created a home that feels bubbly, surprising, and beautifully curated—never chaotic, always cohesive. Every surface, storage solution, and display moment was designed to support both visual impact and daily functionality. This project exemplifies HouseHome’s expertise in eclectic interior design, small-space living, and collector-focused styling, proving that high personality and high design can coexist in perfect balance. The finished apartment is now a joy-filled, organized, and an inspirational retreat that celebrates life, memories, and personal expression while delivering luxury-level styling in a highly livable form.

This basement apartment transformation by HouseHome reimagines a compact lower-level residence into a vibrant “Modern Collector’s Cottage” for a single woman seeking a home that feels electric, expressive, and deeply personal. Designed to celebrate individuality, the space was curated as a true copy-and-paste reflection of the client’s personality, blending her extensive collections, hobbies, and memorabilia into a cohesive, highly stylized interior. The result is a bright, playful, and elevated living environment that seamlessly unites design, modern comfort, and emotional storytelling. The design challenge centered on organizing and showcasing meaningful memorabilia, while blending multi-generational gifts, keepsakes, sports mementos, posters, and artistic collections into a space that still felt intentional and uncluttered. Through layered materials, bold color moments, mixed textures, and thoughtful spatial planning, HouseHome created a home that feels bubbly, surprising, and beautifully curated—never chaotic, always cohesive. Every surface, storage solution, and display moment was designed to support both visual impact and daily functionality. This project exemplifies HouseHome’s expertise in eclectic interior design, small-space living, and collector-focused styling, proving that high personality and high design can coexist in perfect balance. The finished apartment is now a joy-filled, organized, and an inspirational retreat that celebrates life, memories, and personal expression while delivering luxury-level styling in a highly livable form.

This basement apartment transformation by HouseHome reimagines a compact lower-level residence into a vibrant “Modern Collector’s Cottage” for a single woman seeking a home that feels electric, expressive, and deeply personal. Designed to celebrate individuality, the space was curated as a true copy-and-paste reflection of the client’s personality, blending her extensive collections, hobbies, and memorabilia into a cohesive, highly stylized interior. The result is a bright, playful, and elevated living environment that seamlessly unites design, modern comfort, and emotional storytelling. The design challenge centered on organizing and showcasing meaningful memorabilia, while blending multi-generational gifts, keepsakes, sports mementos, posters, and artistic collections into a space that still felt intentional and uncluttered. Through layered materials, bold color moments, mixed textures, and thoughtful spatial planning, HouseHome created a home that feels bubbly, surprising, and beautifully curated—never chaotic, always cohesive. Every surface, storage solution, and display moment was designed to support both visual impact and daily functionality. This project exemplifies HouseHome’s expertise in eclectic interior design, small-space living, and collector-focused styling, proving that high personality and high design can coexist in perfect balance. The finished apartment is now a joy-filled, organized, and an inspirational retreat that celebrates life, memories, and personal expression while delivering luxury-level styling in a highly livable form.